The Holy Land Experience

During spring break my family came to visit us at our Florida home. We had a great time, and the time seemed to fly by. We visited the Holy Land Experience in Orlando, FL. It was an awesome experience too. Their drama presentation of the crucifixion was a very moving and heart wrenching display of what our Lord went through for us. Needless to say I cried most of the way through it. Just to see what pain and suffering our sinless Savor endured to save us and all because he loved us and wanted to spend eternality with us. Wow ! “Thank you Lord for your love!”

While in the park we did several fun activities. Our favorite was watching Heston participate in an on stage play of the Good Samaritan. Heston played the role of the injured man that laid on the road side. He did a great job. His very first acting role and he did not even get paid. Oh well, it was fun to watch! Bryson and Korbin each bought a sword to help David fight off Goliath, and fight each other also. Heston climbed a rock wall. We played games in Noah’s Ark., and were able to walk into the mouth of the whale and hear Johan tell his story. Hannah and Heston took a stroll through a prayer garden, while we all stepped into a recreation of the tomb.

Here is a pictorial of the drama presentation of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. These pictures are just a small example of what we saw. If you ever get the opportunities to see it live, it would so be worth it. Hope you enjoy my depiction through pictures of the Holy Land’s Experience of the Passion of Christ.

Our Lord in the Garden praying to God.

After supper Jesus goes with the disciples to spend the night in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus asks God if he can escape his fate..."Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."Despite this prayer he willingly submits to God's will and continues to prepare himself. Jesus continues to pray and his distress is such that 'his sweat was like drops of blood'.

A group of armed men, sent by the Jewish authorities, arrives in the Garden to arrest Jesus.

Judas betrays Jesus by identifying him with a kiss - the signal he had arranged beforehand.

Jesus is tried by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, on a charge of treason. The Jewish authorities were not authorised to execute people, so they needed to transfer the case to the Roman authorities.

Pilate is not convinced that Jesus is guilty of a capital crime and suggests that it would be sufficient to flog him.

The crowd objects to this and demands that Jesus be killed. Pilate gives in and sentences Jesus to be flogged first and then executed by crucifixion

 

The crucifixion takes place at a location called Calvary or Golgotha.

Jesus is stripped and nailed to the Cross. Above his head is placed a sign that says 'King of the Jews'. Two criminals are crucified alongside him.

Jesus' body is taken down and buried

Then a big stone was rolled in front of the tomb to make sure no one stills the body. Then soilders where placed outside to gaurd the tomb.

On Sunday the tomb is found empty, where is our Lord?  He has risen !!

How wonderful for us that our Lord paid the ultimate price for our sins.

The Bible says in Romans 10:9 (New International Version)

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.